Friday, June 18, 2010

what are your burning feeding dilemmas?

I'd like to start a new thread where I will ask you, readers, for your feeding or eating challenges and questions. I'll pick one a month or so to tackle on the blog... Are you game? You can send in the questions on the blog comments (helps others who may be going through the same thing or who might want to chime in with their own suggestions) or submit to my personal email. I won't be able to answer all the feeding questions in person. Please title the email, BLOG QUESTION.

6 comments:

Blog question-My son just turned 2, and has been a picky eater from the beginning. I have offered, offered, offered, and offered some more, but he will truly only eat snacky foods. LOVES fruit, crackers, granola bars, etc. Will not touch any (and I mean ANY) veggies. Refuses meat of any kind, won't eat grilled cheese or pb&j, turns his head to chicken nuggets...what kid won't eat chicken nuggets?? Mine! I have been working on the Division of Responsibility but feel like I am failing. If I offer him a dinner of fruit, veggie, and meat he will only eat the fruit. I have tried some recipes that "sneak" veggies into them, but he turns his nose up at those, too. I have been giving him vitamin supplements to make me feel a little better about the issues...Any ideas? Continue offering what I'm ok with and don't let him convince me to get him a cracker when he refuses his dinner?? He is growing just fine- I just worry about his lack of nutrition. Grapes for dinner every night just won't cut it.

I would love your thoughts on eating in front of the TV as an occasional treat.

My daughter and I have a girls' night every Thursday because my husband has a boys' night out. Most of the time we go to the library and/or park and then go out to eat, just the 2 of us. But every once in awhile, about every 6 weeks or so, we get food to go and eat while watching one of her favorite shows. We talk about is as a special treat, but is it just paving the way for her to associate watching TV with eating (as I associate eating with reading)?

Snack-time is also a time that sometimes gets spent in front of the TV. When I read Family Feeding Dynamics, I started sitting my daughter down at the table for snack before she watches her show. I actually give her the option: do you want to watch or do you want to eat? Sometimes she surprises me by skipping the snack entirely.

Is it ever healthy and or appropriate to have a snack or meal while watching TV?

Those are both great questions and I can't wait to hear what you have to say about them.

Marie, I was poking around the Ellyn Satter site the other day and read this page, https://ellynsatter.com/showArticle.jsp?id=744&section=278, which directly addresses the fruit and vegetable question. I hope that helps.

My burning feeding question is around eating out. If you, the parent, are supposed to decide the "what" does that mean you don't offer any choices to your child when you eat out? Does eating out "right" mean everyone has to eat the same thing? Cause otherwise the child feels controlled when everyone else gets to choose what to eat? Are you never supposed to eat out because you can't control the "what" (this is extremely unrealistic for me!)? What about eating out as "treat" versus keeping it "just food" - how do you manage that? Basically, can you please address the whole issue of eating out? I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I just cannot figure out how to do good feeding with eating out - and I'm not willing/able to cut out eating out. We enjoy it and don't want to cut it out of our lives.

Amanda, do you have child of mine? If so, look up restaurants for a hint. Otherwise, I just did a video on this and will link, but I will definitely add this to my question pile to tackle! No need to get rid of eating out, but of course, the answer will start with, "it depends...":)

What would you like to see more of on the FFD blog?

Katja Rowell MD

click for website

Helping raise children with a healthy relationship to food and their bodies. Katja is a member of the clinical faculty with the Ellyn Satter Institute. She works with families struggling with feeding to bring peace and joy back to the family table.